Yepoka Yeebo: Anansi’s Gold

The popular former president of Ghana was once accused of hiding gold from the West African country’s government. But it turns out that he was targeted by an audacious con artist who pulled off one of the 20th century's longest running and most spectacular frauds. Author Yepoka Yeebo tells me the s…

Rod Sadler: Depraved Obsession

For more than a decade, a serial killer stalked teenage boys in Michigan. Ronald Lloyd Bailey was eventually caught. But the story becomes more complicated because of Bailey’s experience at one of the state’s most respected psychiatric hospitals. Author Rod Sadler tells me the story in his book: De…

Ceri Jackson: The Boy from Tiger Bay

Almost 40 years ago, a brutal murder on Valentine’s Day shook the country of Wales. When a 20-year-old is murdered in a dark corner of Cardiff’s infamous Tiger Bay area, the police launch an investigation. But did they arrest the wrong people because they were desperate to close the case? Author Ce…

Dane Huckelbridge: Queen of All Mayhem

We hear a lot about gunslingers and outlaws in the American West, and those stories are mostly about men. But there were female outlaws, too—like Belle Starr, probably the most famous of them all. Her murder was a mystery. But her life was extraordinary. Author Dane Huckelbridge tells me about Bell…

Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee: Shadow of the Bridge

The murders of Liberty German and Abigail Williams in Delphi, Indiana shook the country. But the impact of the attention, the speculation and the fear is still felt in the community. Now podcasters Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee have written a book about the case, but it feels different from other in…

Rich Cohen: Murder in the Dollhouse

The disappearance in 2019 of Jennifer Dulos is one of the most chilling stories I’ve ever read about. When the mother of five vanished from her wealthy Connecticut suburb, her estranged husband became the prime suspect. But when Fotis Dulos ended his own life, the mystery deepened. Author Rich Cohe…

Jane Borden: Cults Like Us

What is the origin story of cults? Author Jane Borden says it goes all the way back to the Puritans and their doomsday beliefs. She says that from the beginning, we’ve been a nation of easy marks for con artists and manipulators. She tells me about her book, Cults Like Us.  Support this podcast by…

Anne Soon Choi: L.A. Coroner

When you write a biography about a man dubbed “Coroner to the Stars,” it’s bound to be a compelling story. Who doesn’t want to read about the coroner who performed the autopsies on Marilyn Monroe, RFK, and Natalie Wood, among others? Author Anne Soon Choi tells me about her book, “L.A. Coroner.” S…

Patricia Cornwell: Scarpetta

I’ve interviewed quite a few authors who are inspired by real people or real crimes. And then they write these fantastic novels. Patricia Cornwell’s iconic character, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, has a legion of fans because of how clever she is as a medical examiner, how she solves a mystery. Cornwell was w…

Ross Halperin: Bear Witness

A gang in a mountain barrio in Honduras terrorized the people there for years. The police claimed that their hands were tied because witnesses refused to testify. An American sociologist and a Honduran schoolteacher devised a plan to protect their neighbors by taking matters into their own hands. A…